A frame of a construction machine, for example a dozer, supports various components of the construction machine. The frame has different portions to support different structures and components thereon.
Typically, the frame of a dozer includes a main frame and a front frame. Some dozer frames utilize horizontal lift cylinders connected directly to a main frame instead of the using vertical lift cylinders mounted to a radiator guard. This design allows a C-frame coupled to the dozer blade and lift cylinders to operate further inboard of the frame, such that the tracks can be closer to the longitudinal axis of the machine. These changes enable machine weight reductions and improved machine balance. However, movement of such components closer to the longitudinal axis of the machine results in a space constraint for accommodating various components on the front portion of the frame.
Generally, the front frame includes a mounting location for an engine, radiator guards, engine enclosures, front bottom guard, etc. The front portion also incorporates a saddle for mounting an equalizer bar. The front frame is supported by the saddle portion on the frame for transferring load from the front frame to the main frame. Typically, the front frame is cantilevered from a front wall of the saddle.
To improve rigidity of the front wall for such load bearing the saddle often includes a support plate that supports the front wall of the saddle for bearing loads transferred by the front frame. The support plate in the saddle often results in increase in number of parts and structural complexity of the saddle.
Further, the equalizer bars may be designed according to performance related parameters associated with the machine, for example stiffness and oscillation angle requirements for the machine. The support plates in the equalizer bar saddle limit the dimensions of the equalizer bar that can be mounted in such saddles. Moreover, the support plates also limit the effective ground clearance for the machine
U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,920 discloses a vehicle frame 10 with the front frame 66 having engine support bar 78. The shoulder 72 of the front frame 66 abuts the saddle 56 for supporting the front plates 66. In such vehicle frames, load from the front frame is first transferred to the saddle, and then ultimately to the main frame. Thus, requiring the saddle to be structurally strong for bearing loads transferred from the front frame. Thus, adding overall structural complexity of the saddle and the frame. The present disclosure is directed to overcome one or more of the problems discussed above or other problems in the prior art.